Exodus 14:3

Exodus 14:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.
• New International Version (NIV)Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’
• English Standard Version (ESV)For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, 'They are wandering in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.'
• New King James Version (NKJV)For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’

Context of Exodus 14:3

1Adonai spoke to Moses saying, 2“Speak to Bnei-Yisrael, so that they turn back and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. You are to camp by the sea, opposite Baal-zephon. Pharaoh will say concerning Bnei-Yisrael, ‘They are wandering aimlessly in the land—the wilderness has shut them in!’ 4I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so he will follow after them. Then I will be glorified over Pharaoh along with all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am Adonai.” So they did so. 5When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his servants had a change of heart toward the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we let Israel go from serving us?”

Exodus 14:3 word by word

וְאָמַ֤ר פַּרְעֹה֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל נְבֻכִ֥ים הֵ֖ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ סָגַ֥ר עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם הַמִּדְבָּֽר׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• For Pharaohפַּרְעֹהpar‛ôh · PharaohH6547
• will sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• of the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• entangledבּוּךְbûk · to perplexH943
• in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• the wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
• hath shut them inסָגַרsâgar · to shutH5462

Cross-references for Exodus 14:3

• Exodus 7:3Yet I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.
• Deuteronomy 31:21Now when many evils and troubles have come on them, this song will confront them as a witness; for it will not be forgotten from the mouth of their descendants. For I know the intention they are devising this day, even before I bring them into the land that I swore.”
• Psalms 139:2Whenever I sit down or stand up, You know it. You discern my thinking from afar.
• Ezekiel 38:10Thus says Adonai Elohim: “It will come to pass in that day that things will come into your heart and you will devise an evil plan.
• Acts 4:28They did whatever Your hand and Your purpose predetermined to happen.
• Judges 16:2The Gazites were told, “Samson has come here.” So they surrounded him, lay in ambush for him all night at the gate of the city, and kept quiet all night saying, “When morning light comes, then we kill him.”
• 1 Samuel 23:7Now when Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand! For he shut himself in by entering a town with barred gates.”
• Psalms 3:2Adonai, how many are my foes! Many are rising up against me!
• Psalms 71:11saying: “God has forsaken him— Pursue and take him, for no one will deliver.”
• Jeremiah 20:10For I heard the whispering of many: “‘Terror on every side?’ Denounce him! Let’s denounce him!” Even all my close friends are watching for my fall: “Perhaps he may be deceived, so we’ll get the better of him, and we’ll get our revenge on him.”

Commentaries on Exodus 14:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3They are entangled in the land - God himself brought them into straits from which no human power or art could extricate them. Consider their situation when once brought out of the open country, where alone they had room either to fight or fly. Now they had the Red Sea before them, Pharaoh and his host behind them, and on their right and left hand fortresses of the Egyptians to prevent their escape; nor had they one boat or transport prepared for their…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3They are entangled … - The original intention of Moses was to go toward Palestine by the wilderness: when that purpose was changed by God‘s direction and they moved southwards, Pharaoh, on receiving information, was of course aware that they were completely shut in, since the waters of the Red Sea then extended to the Bitter Lakes. It is known that the Red Sea at some remote period extended considerably further toward the north than it does at present. In…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-4The Lord’s redemptive power was demonstrated as he brought Israel into a place where they were completely helpless and had to either rely on him for rescue or die. At the time, it might have seemed foolish. But Israel would thank God throughout its history for guiding them to that situation (see Psalm 106:7–12; compare Isaiah 12:2–6).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. the wilderness hath shut them in--Pharaoh, who would eagerly watch their movements, was now satisfied that they were meditating flight, and he naturally thought from the error into which they appeared to have fallen by entering that defile, he could intercept them. He believed them now entirely in his power, the mountain chain being on one side, the sea on the other, so that, if he pursued them in the rear, escape seemed impossible.Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 14:3

• God Continued...

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Pharaoh
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Pharaoh, king of Egypt
• Children of Israel
• Better
• Cover
• Heavily
• Lack

Commentaries on Exodus 14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings